The Vietnam Art Association 2009 Prizes were awarded to five best paintings that have undergone several rounds of selections in eight regions of Vietnam.

‘Hanoi’s ancient quarter’, lacquer painting by Van Chien.

The winners are ‘Tam Bac in Days Fighting Against US Invasion’- silk painting by Viet Anh from Hai Phong; ‘Artists Winning Ho Chi Minh and other National Prizes on Arts and Literature’ - book by Tran Khanh Chuong, Hanoi; ‘Origin’- lacquer painting by Nguyen Van Ton, Bac Giang province); ‘Long Bien Bridge Fossil’- mixed medium by Vuong Van Thao, Hanoi; and ‘Dung Quat Melody’- wood sculpture by Nguyen Thanh Tung, Quang Ngai province.

Apart from five category A winners, there are a total 86 other prizes, including 11 category B winners, 22 category C winners, and 44 awards. For critics, there were one category A winner and one category B winner.

Regarding the quality of the entries, painter Bang Lam, vice president of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association says: “the competition this year attracts works from various disciplines, such as paintings, sculpture, and art critics. The entries have all reflected the liveliness of the contemporary life. Many young painters are now focusing on the war, and have strong ideas for reflection. At the same time, the paintings are of bigger sizes and more techniques are used in the works.”

The National Fine Arts Exhibition this year has attracted 1849 entries from 1630 artists. At the regional exhibitions, the Art Councils have recommended 82 works for the 2009 Art Award by the National Committee for Vietnam’s Arts and Literature Association this November.

VietNamNet/Nhan Dan